My Nonprofit Reviews

amhard

The Speakeasy is an INCREDIBLE resource that I was so lucky to have stumbled upon. I am a middle school theatre teacher, and professional theatre performer/director. With a background in playwriting, and 15 years of experience, I was curious what the Storytelling 101 class would really have to 'offer' me that was new/fresh/interesting/compelling. Honestly, my school paid for it, so I went.
I was BLOWN away by several things.
1. The teaching staff (namely Kevin Boggs and Vijay Nathan) was warm, constructive, enthusiastic, and a WEALTH of experience, ideas, and information.
2. The format was packed, well structured, and challenging. This class really forces you to "do the work" and dig in. I found myself challenged mentally, time-wise, emotionally, and creatively. I loved it. The schedule of 5 weeks, including watching a pro performance, rehearsing our performance, and performing our stories, was well crafted and filled to the brink. I hate to waste my time, and the Speakeasy folks respect our time, money, and intelligence.
3. The "community". I found (without knowing I was looking for) a tribe. I found people from all walks of life comign together once a week for a few hours to share stories, make mistakes, and listen and support one another. I was excited and inspired by my classmates, I looked forward with great anticipation to each class, and I was truly, honestly, deeply moved by their performances. The "result"- sharing a well crafted, personal, and honest story with others was touching enough- but the process to get there- watching the story and the storyteller grow and arrive at art- was astounding.
4. The resources! They offer fantastic handouts that I was able to adjust to fit the needs of my students. The opportunity for one-on-one coaching just seems too generous- even in a class, the faculty really make you feel as though they are personally, deeply committed to your success.
Overall the class, the experience, and the artists have motivated me to continue to attend performances, take additional classes, make personal connections, and find my stories. What a gift this has been.